Friday, August 8

• Bring the kids (ages 2–5) to "Fantastic Friday: Park People", this Friday from 10 am to noon at the Crissy Field Center. Meet the firefighter, be a ranger for a day, and meet the park police and their ponies! To register call (415) 561-7752, or download the form at www.parksconservancy.org. The cost is $10 per child, accompanied by a parent or caregiver.

• The North Bay Shakespeare presents A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Hamilton Amphitheater in Novato. Performances run from August 8–October 5. The kids are free this Friday night with every adult full price admission. Performance starts at 7:00 pm. For more info, go to our article.

• Enjoy Jazz & Blues by the Bay this Friday at Gabrielson Park in Sausalito from 6:30–8 pm. For more info, call (415) 289-4152.

• The Marinwood Community Center’s Music in the Park series will be featuring the Loralee Christiansen Trio from 6–8 pm. Bring a blanket and enjoy the music. For the entire family. There will be food by Henry's Burgers and you can purchase beer and wine. Free Child Care! The Marinwood Community Center is located at 775 Miller Creek Road in San Rafael. For more info, go to www.marinwood.org.

• Novato's Family Outdoor Summer Movie series presents E.T. The Extraterrestrial. Free movies begin 15 minutes after sunset, at the corner of Grant and Sherman Avenues, in Old Town Novato. Pre-movie entertainment, bounce houses, slides, and food available. Presented by Continental Jewelers and the Downtown Novato Business Association. For more info, go to their website.

• Film Night in the Park will be showing What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? on Friday evening at 8:00 pm at San Anselmo's Creek Park. Bette Davis and Joan Crawford start in this gothic psychological thriller. Suggested donation $6 for adults and $3 for children. For more info, go to www.filmnight.org.

Go get a dose of culture: this summer North Bay Shakespeare presents A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Hamilton Amphitheater in Novato. Performances run from August 8–October 5. An outdoor production like this is the perfect way to introduce kids to theater. Kids Free Nights are on Friday, August 8, September 19, and October 3 (with every adult paying $25.00 admission and two children all ages admitted free!), and there are reduced-price matinees on September 19 and 26. Order tickets online at www.nbshakes.org or call the box office at (415) 381-1115. You can also order tickets below by clicking on the links.

A desire for a more eco-friendly lunchtime led Marin mompreneurs Joyce Raffo and Paige Rodgers to create Fabkins, a fun line of unique cloth napkins just for kids. Fabkins are kid-sized napkins that sport different child-friendly themes like “Sports Fan,” “African Safari,” “Prima Ballerina,” “Fruit Salad,” “Beach Bound,” and “Garden Friends.” Useful as both napkins and placemats, Fabkins encourage good table manners and help make school lunches and meals at home waste-free.

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Marin Mommies.com is happy to present another guest article by baby sleep expert Marsha Podd, RN, CLE.

Did you know that most babies under 6 months rarely have enough time on their tummy? Since the SIDS foundation has been recommending all parents put baby down to sleep on its back, tummy time has diminished.

Recently, the SIDS foundation issued a new recommendation--more tummy time! Why? Because a young infant needs to develop good strength in lifting its head, and pushing up with its arms. A baby is at greater risk to die from suffocation or SIDS if it is without good strength and control of the head and upper body.

When baby learns to roll over from back to tummy, it is important for him to have strength. If strong, he will easily be able to lift his head and breathe and move. A strong baby is a safe sleeper.
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Looking for a good read this summer? Jane Porter, the award-winning author of Flirting With Forty and Odd Mom Out, shared 10 of her favorite titles for moms on View From the Bay. Listed below are a few of the books. To get the complete list, go to their website.

August is when you begin to see people stopped by the side of the road, poking around in the bushes. No, they're not doing anything strange or unseemly; they're picking wild blackberries! Late summer is definitely blackberry season in Northern California. And what's best is that these sweet little fruits can be had for free just about anywhere, if you're willing to risk stained clothing from all that blackberry juice, as well as the occasional wound from the blackberry's thorns.

Friday, August 1

• Bring the kids (ages 2–5) to "Fantastic Fridays: Beach Party", this Friday from 10 am to noon at the Crissy Field Center. Join in a beach party and learn about beach critters, shore shapes, and have fun playing beach blanket bingo! To register call (415) 561-7752, or download the form at www.parksconservancy.org. The cost is $10 per child, accompanied by a parent or caregiver.

• Come to Family Fun Night: Wizard & Fairy School Party at the Mill Valley Community Center’s swimming pool from 7–9 pm. Inviting all wizards- and fairies-in-training for a Magic School Pool Party themed Family Fun Night.  Dust off the spell-books and get out your wands for this night of whimsy and magic. The cost is $5.00 per family. The Mill Valley Aquatic/Fitness Center is located at 180 Camino Alto in Mill Valley. For more info, go to www.cityofmillvalley.org.

• The Marin Theater Company presents The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, performed by talented young summer camp performers. Adapted from the hilarious award-winning book by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, this delightful musical adaptation skewers all the fairy tales you know and love. Performances on Friday at 7 pm, Saturday at 2 and 7 pm, and Sunday at 2 pm. Adults and seniors $15, students and children $10. More information and tickets: www.marintheatre.org.

• Marin Kids Consignment will be having a  sale at Playtime Safari from 5 to 8 pm. Get some gently used clothing for the kids for the perfect price. Bring the kids while you shop for some play and a movie. Mary Poppins will be showing at 5:10 pm. There is never an entrance fee to shop. There is a $5 entrance fee to bring your kids to play at Playtime Safari, watch the movie, and eat the snacks provided. For more info, go to www.marinkidsconsignment.com. Playtime Safari is located at 5470 Nave Drive in Novato.

• Enjoy Jazz & Blues by the Bay this Friday at Gabrielson Park in Sausalito from 6:30–8 pm. For more info, call (415) 289-4152.

• Novato's Family Outdoor Summer Movie series presents The Water Horse. Free movies begin 15 minutes after sunset, at the corner of Grant and Sherman Avenues, in Old Town Novato. Pre-movie entertainment, bounce houses, slides, and food available. Presented by Continental Jewelers and the Downtown Novato Business Association. For more info, go to their website.

OK, I know this sounds crazy, but I am still nursing my 2-year-old daughter. I’ve been trying to wean her for the last couple of months with little luck. I have been successful at cutting back, but she does seem a pretty attached to the whole thing still. I’ve tried replacements, like a pacifier or food, which in both cases haven’t worked. When looking into suggestions about weaning, I found some good info online from Dr. Sears and the La Leche Group. Both websites had similar suggestions. I have listed some of the basic ones below: